True or False( If a culinary art student in a professional school studies hard, work diligently, gets top grades, and show real dedication, he or she will be qualified to be a chef upon graduation. please explain
Brett
Dear Brett,
Great question!
Well yes and no. Yes you can call yourself a Chef but it does not qualify you to be a Chef. What we mean is you can study hard, get good grades, and work hard but it is what you do with that education that really makes you a Chef.
For the no part. We have met many Chefs/cooks that went to the best schools but are totally lost in the real world. A culinary school can give you all the tools that you need, however it is what you do with those tools that really makes you a Chef.
When you graduate from a culinary school do not expect to be a head Chef in the top restaurants unless you have worked for a few years before going to a culinary school and have a great personal knowledge of the culinary field.
If you have any other questions on this please let us know.
Sincerely,
Chef Chat Cafe
Friday, October 19, 2007
Saturday, September 15, 2007
What to do with my garden?
It is now the end of the season here in the north east. Every year I have a garden and at the end of the season I have so many vegetables I can not give them away. I grow tomatoes, squash, and peppers. Please help!!!
Joe
Dear Joe,
We know what you are saying! The best way to help you is to give you few options. With your tomatoes you can boil some water and peal and de-seed them for jarring, or freezing. You can also just make a basic tomato sauce and freeze it so that you can add it to your favorite dishes. For your squash that's tough! Squash is a tough vegetable but it dos not hold very well. You can make a short bread, or muffins, stew them and can, or freeze them, or make a soup and do the same. For your peppers it is the same story. To hold these vegetable for a long time it is best to keep them as basic as possible. The reason is because if you make them for one dish you can not use them for others and you will be tired of just eating that.
If you have any other questions on this please let us know.
Sincerely,
Chef Chat Cafe
Joe
Dear Joe,
We know what you are saying! The best way to help you is to give you few options. With your tomatoes you can boil some water and peal and de-seed them for jarring, or freezing. You can also just make a basic tomato sauce and freeze it so that you can add it to your favorite dishes. For your squash that's tough! Squash is a tough vegetable but it dos not hold very well. You can make a short bread, or muffins, stew them and can, or freeze them, or make a soup and do the same. For your peppers it is the same story. To hold these vegetable for a long time it is best to keep them as basic as possible. The reason is because if you make them for one dish you can not use them for others and you will be tired of just eating that.
If you have any other questions on this please let us know.
Sincerely,
Chef Chat Cafe
Saturday, September 1, 2007
What to do with spinach?
I love spinach! Not as much as Popeye but I try to eat it every week with dinner. I have had it in a salad and sauteed but just with garlic. I see recipes but they look scary. do you have any other ideas?
Donna
Dear Donna,
Here's a question for you. What do you find scary? The only way they get scary is when you add ingredients that you do not like. Some ideas you can get from our recipe page but just to name a few you can stuff chicken with some spinach and your favorite cheese, saute it with you favorite nuts [unsalted of coarse], you can add some citrus fruit and some spice to kick it up a little. As you can see you can be as basic as you want and as dangerous and you feel. But it is up to you. Our best suggestion is to start slow. Add what you like and work off of that.
Let us know if you have any other questions on this.
Sincerely,
Chef Chat Cafe
Donna
Dear Donna,
Here's a question for you. What do you find scary? The only way they get scary is when you add ingredients that you do not like. Some ideas you can get from our recipe page but just to name a few you can stuff chicken with some spinach and your favorite cheese, saute it with you favorite nuts [unsalted of coarse], you can add some citrus fruit and some spice to kick it up a little. As you can see you can be as basic as you want and as dangerous and you feel. But it is up to you. Our best suggestion is to start slow. Add what you like and work off of that.
Let us know if you have any other questions on this.
Sincerely,
Chef Chat Cafe
Monday, August 20, 2007
What to do with bad wine?
I bought a bottle of wine and it tasted like I licked the walls of my basement!!! This is not the first time that this has happened to me and I feel bad taking it back. What should I do to prevent this from happening again, and what causes this?
Stan
Dear Stan,
Well the first thing we need to say is Do Not feel Bad! The reason that you should not feel bad taking it back because it does not hurt the wine store. All they would do is tell the company that sold it to them and they will take it back. Most of the time it is just one bottle but in a few cases it can be a case of wine. What happens is the bottle [mostly reds] are in a bad temperature and they turn.
To prevent this from happening again just stop buying wine or you just have to look at wine like it is a living, breathing organism. Some times it is a shot in the dark, or just find a better store if you have received wines from one store that this has happened to you before.
For your own wines at home you have to take care of it like your children especially if you buy high cost wines. Put the wine in a good temperature say 50 degrees F to 58 degrees F for reds and 38 degrees F to 50 degrees F for whites. If you like a colder white that is up to you but in some good wine you will miss some of the fruity flavors.
We hope this helps and if you have any other questions on this please let us know.
Sincerely,
Chef Chat Cafe
Stan
Dear Stan,
Well the first thing we need to say is Do Not feel Bad! The reason that you should not feel bad taking it back because it does not hurt the wine store. All they would do is tell the company that sold it to them and they will take it back. Most of the time it is just one bottle but in a few cases it can be a case of wine. What happens is the bottle [mostly reds] are in a bad temperature and they turn.
To prevent this from happening again just stop buying wine or you just have to look at wine like it is a living, breathing organism. Some times it is a shot in the dark, or just find a better store if you have received wines from one store that this has happened to you before.
For your own wines at home you have to take care of it like your children especially if you buy high cost wines. Put the wine in a good temperature say 50 degrees F to 58 degrees F for reds and 38 degrees F to 50 degrees F for whites. If you like a colder white that is up to you but in some good wine you will miss some of the fruity flavors.
We hope this helps and if you have any other questions on this please let us know.
Sincerely,
Chef Chat Cafe
Friday, August 17, 2007
Crust on fish
I love a great sauteed piece of fish. I eat out a lot to say the least. I want to make the same dishes. When I try to recreate the crust on the fish it will come out way under cooked or over cooked. What am I doing wrong?
Cindy
Dear Cindy,
The first place to start is what type of fish are you using? If you use a thin piece of like flounder, the best way to create a crust is to coat the fish with seasoned flour, corn starch, or corn flour. Start sauteing in hot oil and cook the fish on one side for 90% of the way. You will need to lower the heat a little so you do not burn the fish. If you are using a thick piece of fish like halibut, just season the fish and sear it in HOT oil. Then do the same. To make it easier you can sear the fish until the crust forms and then flip it over and place it in a 350 degree F oven for about 10 minutes. For an even tastier crust you can shred some potatoes, season and add a little flour and create a crust the same way. It does sound easier said then done, but after a few times you will be a pro.
If you have any other questions on this, please let us know.
Sincerely,
Chef Chat Cafe
Cindy
Dear Cindy,
The first place to start is what type of fish are you using? If you use a thin piece of like flounder, the best way to create a crust is to coat the fish with seasoned flour, corn starch, or corn flour. Start sauteing in hot oil and cook the fish on one side for 90% of the way. You will need to lower the heat a little so you do not burn the fish. If you are using a thick piece of fish like halibut, just season the fish and sear it in HOT oil. Then do the same. To make it easier you can sear the fish until the crust forms and then flip it over and place it in a 350 degree F oven for about 10 minutes. For an even tastier crust you can shred some potatoes, season and add a little flour and create a crust the same way. It does sound easier said then done, but after a few times you will be a pro.
If you have any other questions on this, please let us know.
Sincerely,
Chef Chat Cafe
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Cooking instruction book
My daughter has entered a culinary program in her high school and she is so excited. I have researched the book they will give her and it is very basic and gives no direction in becoming a chef. Can you suggest and good one that I can buy?
Sincerely,
Kim
Dear Kim,
Yes we can. Our answer may be one sided though. We suggest The Professional Chef, 8Th Edition from CIA. It will inform your daughter with what ever she wants to know. If that is to advanced for her you can try Becoming a Chef:by Karen Page. This book will help her decide if this is what she wants to do. It will give her some of the tools to advance in the class she is taking in high school. It is hard to give a multitude of suggestions because there are so many out there these days, but we are sure any one you pick up will help her.
Let us know if you have any other questions on this.
Sincerely,
Chef Chat Cafe
Sincerely,
Kim
Dear Kim,
Yes we can. Our answer may be one sided though. We suggest The Professional Chef, 8Th Edition from CIA. It will inform your daughter with what ever she wants to know. If that is to advanced for her you can try Becoming a Chef:by Karen Page. This book will help her decide if this is what she wants to do. It will give her some of the tools to advance in the class she is taking in high school. It is hard to give a multitude of suggestions because there are so many out there these days, but we are sure any one you pick up will help her.
Let us know if you have any other questions on this.
Sincerely,
Chef Chat Cafe
